The Real Rocky Official

The Bayonne Bleeder: The Real-Life Story Behind Rocky While the world knows Rocky Balboa as the ultimate cinematic underdog, the "Italian Stallion" was born from a real-life heavyweight battle in 1975. Sylvester Stallone , then a struggling actor, was in the audience when a local club fighter named stepped into the ring against the legendary Muhammad Ali. The Man Who Wouldn’t Stay Down

: In the ninth round, Wepner did the unthinkable—he knocked Muhammad Ali to the canvas. It was only the fourth time in Ali's career he had been knocked down.

: Wepner later sued Stallone for using his life story to promote the franchise without compensation. They eventually reached a private out-of-court settlement in 2006. The Real Rocky

: Wepner lasted until the final 19 seconds of the 15th round before the referee stopped the fight.

: Stallone went home and reportedly wrote the script for Rocky in just three days, capturing the spirit of a man who didn't necessarily win, but "went the distance". Life After the Ring The Bayonne Bleeder: The Real-Life Story Behind Rocky

Today, Wepner is finally getting his due beyond the shadow of the silver screen. His life story has been documented in the ESPN documentary " The Real Rocky " and the 2017 biopic Chuck , starring Liev Schreiber.

: Stallone actually tried to cast Wepner in Rocky II as a sparring partner, but Wepner famously blew the audition after a two-day partying bender. It was only the fourth time in Ali's

: The training sequence where Rocky punches slabs of meat in a cold storage locker was a direct lift from Frazier’s real-life training at a Philadelphia slaughterhouse.